Therapy through riding at Gritman Medical Center

Elijah Altman learned how to ride a bicycle three years ago, but soon became so afraid of getting hurt that he stopped. Through Gritman Physical Therapy's bicycle group, the 9-year-old is back behind the handle bars and one of the fastest members.

"So now it's his favorite thing to do," Altman's mother, Julia, said

This summer marks the third year physical therapist Lori Mages has put on the program, which teaches developmentally delayed children not only how to ride a bicycle, but also how to stay active and learn to safely traverse their community, she said.

"I'm really interested in getting wellness programs developed for kids with whatever disabilities they have," Mages said. "I'm looking for ways to get them physically active with the support they need."

The program, which is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the summer, has grown since its first year, Mages said, mostly through word-of-mouth from Gritman therapists who work with children in Moscow schools. Paradise Creek Bicycles also helps with the program by providing some bicycles on loan and helping parents fit their children to the ones that work best for them, she said.

Dakota Boswell, 7, had never ridden a bicycle before the program and hesitated at first, his father, Chuck, said.

"He's a lot more comfortable on his bike now than when he first started," Chuck Boswell said. "I wish they had more programs for kids to get them active and out."

The Thursday group, which consists of novice riders, started at McDonald Elementary and rode all the way to Mountain View Park by its bicycle trail.

"This is the first day that they've gone this far," Mages said.

Children took advantage of their success by having a quick run on new playground equipment installed by the Moscow Parks and Recreation Department.

The ride was also educational as each bicycle was fashioned with a bookmark featuring pictures of different traffic safety signs. They would find matching stickers on traffic cones along their path and have to correctly place them on their bookmarks.

"They're going to encounter those in any community setting, whether it's riding a bike or walking or even driving a car," Mages said.

Jackson Reed, 8, has been doing some form of therapy with Gritman most of his life, his father, Gary Reed, said, but this was his first year in the bicycle program. He' has nearly everything down, except for paying attention to his surroundings, unless Mages gives him a target to chase.

"This program is helping him with that," Reed said. "This has actually helped him with taking turns and not running into other people. ... I really want to stay in the area for programs like this."

Brandon Macz can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 238, or by email to bmacz@dnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrandonMacz.